1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for continuously melting steel from largely already-reduced iron-containing materials such as pig iron and/or scrap iron, in which process the melt is poured into a ladle for performing subsequent metallurgical steps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For producing steel from solid metallic iron containing material, in particular scrap iron, solid pig iron, pellets, iron sponge or mixtures thereof, there are used, as a rule, oxygen inflation converters or oxygen sparging converters carbon-containing fuels are blown into the melt for obtaining the required melting heat. The production of steel from scrap without using liquid pig iron can be achieved without substantial problems in electric-arc furnaces, the expenditure for electrical energy being in these cases, however, relatively great, so that the economy of such processes is scarcely existent. In known converter processes, in which oxygen is blown onto or through the melt it is, as a rule, possible to operate more rapidly and at more favourable costs. Such melting processes result, however, in relatively high contents of oxides within the melting bath and the slag resulting from using such processes has, as a rule, a relatively high viscosity. Such highly viscous slags have most frequently an insufficient gas permeability, so that strong foaming of the bath and occasionally overboiling of the bath may occur.